FLORIDA FAIR NEWS
Don’t Forget Who “Brung” You to the Dance By: Lauren Der, Florida Strawberry Festival Public Relations and Media Representative
We in the Fair industry believe strongly in the balance of holding on to our roots while staying up to date on current
trends. In our efforts to grow and evolve our events, we must never lose sight of those vital traditions that brought our initial success. As our General Manager Paul Davis puts it, “Don’t forget who brung you to the dance.” So, in an effort to expand and pay homage to one of the Florida Strawberry Festival’s most historical and beloved traditions, we’ve under- gone some construction. The Neighborhood Village, a competition of baked goods, canned items, quilts, crafts, clothing, scrapbooks and other
items handcrafted by the town’s own people, displays over 600 entries each year. Currently housed in a 2,000 sq. ft. building, the exhibit has simply outgrown its space. With that in mind, Festival directors began planning for a new build- ing to house the Neighborhood Village and more. “The contests in the Neighborhood Village are ones that our people love competing in and visitors love seeing,” said
Sunny Smith, Florida Strawberry Festival Events Coordinator. “It’s important to us that we not just maintain but grow this exhibit, as it is a crucial part of the local, hometown atmosphere we have here at our Festival.” At the beginning of September, we began construction on a 12,000 sq. ft. facility where 4,000 sq. ft. is devoted to and
designed specifically for the Neighborhood Village youth and adult competitions, and the remaining space will be used for future projects. Permanent displays will be built in the space that provide shelving and wall space for every entry. In addition, part of the area will be devoted to live demonstrations where Festival visitors can watch quilts being made and other items being crafted together. “We have such a disconnect anymore, especially with our young people, in knowing the time and the process it takes
to craft something together,” said Smith. “Instead of only seeing the end result, people will now be taught how something is made by hand.” We are excited about the opportunities this new building will provide: opportunities for education, for more community
involvement, for growth in the Neighborhood Village and for future project development. The exhibits it will house encom- pass the most vital parts of the Florida Strawberry Festival: agriculture, food, community and tradition. The new building is expected to be complete for the 2014 Festival which will take place February 27-March 9. If you
visit our Festival this year, please be sure to stop by the Neighborhood Village in its new home to see the skills and handiwork of our town’s very own.
Directory Cover Photo Contest
Remember to take pictures throughout the year so you will have them to select from to enter one in the contest in May.
Winning photographs will appear on the cover of the 2014-15 Directory being published in the Fall. 18
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48